


All Because of Nikki Carpenter

by KatieComma



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, M/M, Soulmate AU - No lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 19:03:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21020726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma
Summary: In a universe where you can't lie to your soulmate... it takes Jack and Mac almost five years to figure out they're idiots.





	All Because of Nikki Carpenter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Orianess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orianess/gifts).

> Tumblr prompt from Orianess for a soulmate AU where you can't lie to your soulmate.

It had taken them entirely too long to figure it out. It had taken Nikki for things to come out in the open.

Nikki had been dancing around Mac for a while. Not so subtly. 

Jack had noticed on day one; the way she wore lower cut tops suddenly despite the fact that she was a field analyst and had no reason whatsoever to be flashing her goods around. The way she drew attention to her mouth whenever she talked to Mac; nibbling on a fingertip or licking her lips. Mostly it was the way she absolutely ignored Jack in favour of laughing at Mac’s terrible (just terrible) jokes. Everybody knew Jack was the life of the party, the funny one, and everyone always loved him.

But poor Mac was oblivious. Every single opportunity she presented, he just skated right on by.

Finally Nikki resorted to asking for Jack’s help.

“Come on Jack,” she begged. “You’re his best friend. Can’t you put in a word for me, or just let him know?”

“You’re a big girl Nikki,” Jack sighed, “you know, in this day and age girls can ask out boys.”

“Can you just ask him already Jack?” She’d demanded. “I mean, is he just this… stupid with girls? Or is he really not interested?”

Jack chuckled at that. He’d seen Mac go on plenty of dates, but nothing ever really lasted. Guys or gals, he just couldn’t seem to get it together with someone. 

Jack could understand. Dating regular people was hard in their business. So many lies. When it came to a mission, Mac could lie with the best of them, but when he was relaxed at home, he was the worst liar Jack had ever met. Though Mac hadn’t ever lied to Jack that he could tell.

“Alright, alright,” Jack conceded. “I’ll give it a go.”

“Thanks Jack! You’re the best!” Nikki gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

The next time Jack and Mac found themselves sitting around the fire pit just the two of them, Jack jumped on the opportunity.

“Hey man,” Jack said, sipping at his second beer. “So, Nikki eh?”

Mac looked up from the fire. “Nikki?” He asked. “What about her?”

“She’s pretty great, huh?” Jack asked.

Mac nodded absently. “Yeah, I guess. Great agent. Knows more about computers and hacking than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Bet she’d make a great girlfriend,” Jack tossed out, the least subtle he could ever remember being.

Mac laughed and started to put his bottle to his lips when he glanced over to see that Jack was serious, and put the bottle back down. “Nikki? Are you serious right now?”

“Come on, she’s great-”

“She’s a coworker,” Mac interrupted. “There’s about a hundred ways that it could end badly since we work together doing covert ops.”

“Oh it won’t be so bad,” Jack said, “you guys breakup she can just get put on another team.”

“And why, exactly, would I want that?” Mac asked. “She’s the best senior analyst in the business. So I’m gonna screw up our team because… what? You think I should go out with her? You think I need to get laid?”

“Come on, I didn’t say that,” Jack back-pedalled. “Ok, maybe I did. Come on man. It’s been a while since you were even on a date. What’s the harm?”

“Well, first of all, you just told me the harm: it’ll split up our awesome team,” Mac replied, “and second: I don’t know why you’re always trying to push me into dating.”

“See, now you’re deflecting,” Jack said, and then he started fishing. “Cause, maybe there’s someone else. You dating someone on the sly you didn’t tell me about?”

“No, I’m not dating anyone,” Mac said, but there was something in his eyes that said otherwise.

“Come on man, if you got the hots for someone else, you can tell me. Do you?” Jack didn’t give Mac enough time to answer. “It’s Rosa in data recovery, isn’t it?”

“No Jack! It’s you, alright?” Mac said, and suddenly his eyes went wide and mouth dropped open a little, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just said.

“What’s me?” Jack asked stupidly.

“I’m in love with you Jack,” Mac said, and then made that face again like he wished he could sew his mouth closed and stop talking. “Holy shit, it’s you?! You can’t be serious right now.”

“You’re in love… with…” Jack’s brain short circuited. Of course he’d looked at Mac and thought he was handsome, good looking, fit and generally pretty hot. But Mac was too many years too young for Jack, so he’d closed that door when they’d been in the sandbox together. “Hold up hoss, what are you going on about? What’s me?”

Mac put his bottle down and turned excitedly toward Jack, a grin on his face. “Lie to me Jack.”

Jack’s brain was fried. Too much happening. “Sorry, what?”

“Try to tell me a lie, Jack,” Mac encouraged, hands out in a very “bring it on” kind of gesture.

And Jack knew exactly what Mac was thinking. But no. It couldn’t be. Not after all these years. Damn near five years together, seeing each other almost every day and they had never, not once, lied to each other?

Jack’s brain was blank. He couldn’t think of a lie.

“Alright, I’ll ask you a question, and you try to tell me a lie, ok?” Mac asked. “What cars to do you own?”

Jack’s brain immediately lit upon the Lamborghini Aventador, his all time number one dream car if he was stupid rich like Bruce Wayne. Jack opened his mouth to say it, but all that came out was: “Corvette.” He tried again, closing his eyes and picturing the Aventador in his mind: bright yellow with black decals. “Shelby Cobra.”

Hands grabbed at his shoulders, and Jack opened his eyes to find Mac grinning at him.

“It can’t be,” Jack said, feeling tears start to prickle his eyes. He’d been getting on in years, and never thought he’d find his soulmate, least of all that he’d suddenly discover that it was his best friend that he’d spent years and years getting to know and loving before they even found out. “There’s no way.”

“Yeah, there is,” Mac said. “Come on man. Give me another explanation!”

A tear snuck down Jack’s cheek. “I’ve known you five long years dude,” he said, “there’s no way that neither of us have ever lied to the other in five years.”

“Before today I never wanted to lie to you Jack,” Mac said, as he put a hand to Jack’s cheek and used his thumb to wipe away the single tear. “I've never had a reason to.”

Jack closed his eyes, and pressed his stubbly cheek into Mac’s warm palm while he thought back on their years together.

Sure the sandbox made sense. You didn’t lie to the men you served with. Made things messy and complicated in a place where you wanted everything to be simple and cut and dry. So that one made sense. But once they’d gotten back home, how had they avoided it? People told little lies all the time, every day, to everyone they knew. But from the beginning Mac and Jack had been so open with each other, Jack had never wanted or needed to lie to his best friend.

He opened his eyes and found Mac so close, still holding Jack’s face in his hand, his thumb moving softly against cheekbone. The excitement in Mac’s big blue eyes was intoxicating, and he leaned forward to press their lips together. They just fit, immediately. They opened their mouths right away and let each other in, and it was like coming home after a long time away. Jack wrapped his arms around Mac’s middle and pulled him as close as sitting awkwardly side by side on a bench would allow.

Jack pushed back after a minute, needing some air. His head was spinning, and not just from the excitement.

Suddenly a thought went through him like a gunshot.

“Oh shit,” he groaned.

“What?” Mac asked, looking concerned and licking excess saliva from his lips. “What’s wrong?”

“I was supposed to be convincing you to ask Nikki out tonight,” Jack sighed.

Mac just laughed, wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck and pulled him close again. “Oh well, Nikki’s loss,” Mac said before he closed the distance between their mouths again.

Jack relaxed into that kiss.

Nikki’s loss indeed.


End file.
